Combined hat stay and compartmenting means for hat boxes



L. JAMES ET AL 2,472,079 COMBINED HAT STAY AND COMPARTMENTING MEANS FORHAT BOXES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 7, 1949.

Filed May 29, 1947 W W W 4 00/55 un /v5.5,

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June 7, 1949.

Filed May 29, 1947 L. JAMES ET AL COMBINED HAT STAY AND COMPARTMENTINGMEANS FOR HAT BOXES l I I I I I I I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW-U Patented June7, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED HAT STAY AND COMPARTMENT-ING MEANS FOR HAT BOXES Louise James and Joseph E. Jubin, New Orleans,La.

3 Claims.

This invention relates to a combined hat stay and compartmenting meansfor a hat box to increase the utility of same in travelling.

Where hats are packed in conventional hat boxes there is normally asubstantial volume of waste space within the boxes surrounding the hats,and it has heretofore been impractical to utilize this waste space forany useful purpose since the packing of additional articles or objectstherein is apt to result in crushing or damaging the hats. This has beena disadvantage to travellers inasmuch as they are required to provideadditional luggage in which to pack other articles of clothing, toiletarticles etc. even though the amount of these is quite small.

The present invention has been conceived and developed with theforegoing in mind and accordingly has for its primary object to providemeans occupying this heretofore waste space within a hat box and servingasa hat stay to center a hat within the box, while defining in saidspace a plurality of luggage compartments to accommodate variousadditional objects and maintain same in a readily accessible conditionout of engagement with the hat.

In order to accomplish this, the combined hat stay and compartmentingmeans of the invention is arranged to divide the hat box into aplurality of luggage compartments surrounding a central hat crown well,these compartments being provided with lidsor closures which togetherform a composite hat brim supporting tray or platform.

Additional objects are: to provide such a device which is self centeringwithin the hat box, thus requiring no positive connection thereto andbeing removable therefrom at will where its use is not required; toprovide such a device which may be readily collapsed as a unit to flatcondition for storage; to provide such a device which may comprise apair of identical units or elements each formed from an integral sheetmaterial blank; and, to provide a novel sheet material blank for formingsaid elements.

The foregoing objects are attained by the preferred embodiment of theinvention shown by way of illustration in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a hat box havin combined hatstay and compartmenting means associated therewith in accordance withthe invention, the top closure or lid of the box being omitted to permita view of its interior;

Figure 2, an exploded perspective view showing the two elements ormembers of the device prior to their assembly and insertion into the hatbox;

Figure 3, a cross-section on the line 33 of Figure 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows, the strap S, shown in Figure 1, being omitted;

Figure 4, a cross-section on the line 5-4 of Figure 1, looking in thedirection of the arrows; and,

Figure 5, a plan view of the sheet material blank from which each of theidentical elements or members of the preferred embodiment of theinvention are formed.

Referring now in detail to the accompanying drawings, the referencecharacter B therein designates the body of a usual cardboard, fiberboard or other sheet material hat box of polygonal, preferably octagonalcross-section, having at least one pair of relatively opposed parallelside Walls or wall panels P. A usual bottom or lower end closure C isapplied to the bottom of such a box, and a usual cover or lid L isremovably applied to the top thereof, as in Figures 3 and 4.

Suitable cover fastening means for maintaining the lid L on the box bodyB may comprise a pair of cooperating straps S fixedly secured as byriveting to opposite sides of the box body. The free ends of thesestraps S are arranged to be connected across the lid L after same isapplied. To this end, one strap S is provided with a usual buckle F, andthe other strap S is formed with a series of spaced perforations Htherein adapting it for cooperation with said buckle in usual manner.Such straps S also form a convenient handle for the box.

The box aforementioned merely represents one form of usual hat box whichis adapted for use with the combined hat stay and compartmenting meansof the invention, and the box per se constitutes no part of theinvention.

Each of the two preferably identical elements or members comprising thepreferred embodiment of the invention is preferably formed from anintegral fiat blank of suitable sheet material such as cardboard, fiberboard, or other relatively strong stiff material, as shown in Figure 5,though obviously these members may be formed in other ways.

Such a blank comprises a main partition 1, and a longitudinalcompartment forming extension which is separated from partition I by avertical fold or score line 2. Such extension comprises rectangular endpartitions 3 and 4 respectively, between which is interposed arectangular side panel 5, same being connected to the respective endpartitions 3 and 4 along vertical fold or score lines I and 8.

An attaching flap or tab 9 may be hingedly connected to the free endpartition 4 along a vertical fold or score line I0.

Secured to the upper horizontal edge of the main partition I, along thefold or score line II, is a side compartment closure flap I2, the shapeand dimensions of which correspond to the horizontal cross-section ofthe side compartment which will be formed in the box by partition. Suchshape and dimensions may be varied to adapt the invention for use withvarious sizes and types of boxes.

Preferably suitable resiliently foldable box engaging tabs I3 and I5 arejoined along score or fold lines I4 to the free edges of the closureflap I2.

The vertical dimension or height of the partition I will besubstantially less than the depth of the box body B, and the tabs I5will be of such vertical dimension or height that the combined verticaldimensions of the partition I and tab I5 of the blank will substantiallyequal the depth of the box body B.

An end compartment closure flap I6 is provided to cover the endcompartment formed by the longitudinal extension when same is foldedinto erected condition. Preferably such flap I6 is foldable along thescore or fold line H defining the upper horizontal edge of the free endpartition 4, such flap I6 preferably having a tab I9 foldable along thescore line I8 relatively thereto.

The dimensions of the closure flap I6 will be such that when the blankis folded into erect condition with the flap covering the endcompartment formed therein, such flap will extend across and rest on theupper edge of the end partition 3, which thus serves as a stop andpositioning means for the flap I6; while the tab I9 of said flap may befolded downwardly against the outer face of said end partition 3, asshown in Figure 2 of the drawings,

Both of the closure flaps I2 and I5 may be provided with usual fingerholes 20 to facilitate operation thereof.

In erecting the blank the several partitions 3 and 4 and the side panel5 of the compartment forming extension are 'folded on their respectivescore lines 2, I and 8 to form an enclosure or end compartment ofparallelogram cross-section in a horizontal plane, using the adjacentend portion of the main partition I as one of the side panels thereof,the attaching tab 9 being folded along its score line I and suitablysecured flush against the face of the partition I, as by glue, staplesor other usual means, with the fold line Ill thus being in the positionindicated by the dotted line ID in Figure 5.

After thus folding two blanks to form erected elements having endcompartments therein as aforementioned, these elements are assembled inthe manner shown in Figures 1 and 2, with the respective main partitionsI thereof disposed in relatively coextensive parallel relation, and theend partitions 3 and 4 of both end compartments extending transverselybetween the partitions I at opposite ends thereof. Preferably the sidepanel of each end compartment is suitably anchored, as by gluing orstitching, flush against its corresponding end portion of the relativelyadjacent partition I, though such anchoring is not essential inasmuch asthe two elements or members of the invention may be maintained inassembled relation by the confining action of the box when assembledtherein.

With the two elements of the device thus assembled, the various closureflaps I2 and I6 are folded outwardly to a substantially horizontalposition, where they will be disposed in a substantially common plane,as in all of the assembled views of the invention, these flaps I2 and I6being so shaped and proportioned that their respective free edges orfold lines I4 and I1 will jointly define a polygon similar to the crosssection of the box B. I

Then, with the tabs I3, I5 and I9 all folded into substantially verticalplanes, the assembled r elements of the invention are inserteddownwardly into the box body B to the position shown in Figure 1.

Preferably the tabs I3 and I5 will be folded upwardly so that wheninserted in the box the upper edges of the tabs I5 will be contiguous tothe lower surface of the box lid L to provide a positive means forpreventing inadvertent upward displacement or opening of the flaps I2when the box is jarred or inverted. All of the tabs I3 and I5 will pressoutwardly against the box sides to frictionally retain the closure flapI 2 in closed position.

The tabs I9 will preferably be folded downwardly adjacent the outersurfaces of the respective end partitions 3 to be frictionally retainedbetween their respective panels or partitions 3 and the adjacent boxside panels P.

In this assembled relation of the invention in the hat box it will beseen that the relatively parallel main partitions I extend across theinterior of the box normally to the opposed parallel side wall panelsP-P thereof, thus dividing the interior of the box into a rectangularmedial space bounded by said partitions II and end partitions 3-3, andside compartments on opposite sides of said medial space.

The relatively adjacent transverse end partitions 4 serve to subdividethis medial space into an upwardly opening central hat crown welldisposed between them, and end compartments occupying opposite endportions of said medial space.

The various side and end closure flaps I2 and It not only cover theirrespective compartments, but also by their engagement with the box sidesserve to center the device in the box. Further, it will be seen thatthese respective flaps I2 and I6 when in operative closed position alllie in a common horizontal plane substantially below the plane of thebox top L to form a composite supporting tray or platform around thecentral hat crown well for the purpose of supporting the brim of a hathaving its crown disposed in inverted position in said central well.

In the use of the invention, which is believed to be apparent from theforegoing, access to the various side and end compartments may be had byraising their respective closure flaps I2 and I6, whereupon variousarticles of clothing, toilet articles or other objects may be placedtherein as desired. Thereafter, with these flaps in closed operativeposition, a usual hat may be inverted and placed in the box in suchmanner that its crown is received in the central well aforementioned,while its brim rests on the composite tray or platform defined by theflaps I2, I2 and I6, l6.

Thus the several partitions defining this central wel1 engage the hatcrown to center the hat in the box so that in handling of the box thebrim can not be collapsed and/ or crushed against the box sides, and thevarious articles in the side and end compartments are maintained out ofengagement with the hat to avoid crushing or deforming same. Wherethe'hat brim is flexible this will permit the flaps l2 and IE to be atleast partially opened to gain access to their respective compartmentswithout removing the hat.

Where it is desired to use the hat box B without the device of theinvention, said device may be removed as a unit from the box andcollapsed to fiat condition for storage in a minimum amount of space. Tocollapse the device after removing same from the box, it is necessary tofirst swing the flaps f2 and I6 upwardly into substantially verticalplanes, whereupon the respective main partitions I may be moved inopposite endwise directions, thus causing all of the relatively paralleltransvers partitions 3 and 4 to swing into a substantially common planebetween main partitions l.

The device of the invention may obviously be used to considerableadvantage when it is desired to travel lightly, with a minimum ofbaggage, as it serves the combined functions of a hat box and a suitcase. Because of this it will be the only piece of luggage required onovernight or week end trips.

In this application we have shown and described only the preferredembodiment of our invention, simply by way of illustration of thepractice thereof, as by law required. However we recognize that ourinvention is capable of other and different embodiments and that thevarious details thereof may be modified, all without departing from oursaid invention. Therefore the drawings and description herein are to beconsidered as merely illustrative and not as exclusive.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In a hat box of polygonal cross sectional shape having relatively.opposed parallel pairs of vertical side wall panels, a hat stay andcompartmenting means comprising a pair of relatively spaced verticalmain partitions extending between the side wall panels of one of saidpairs and dividing the interior of said box into a medial space betweensaid partitions and side compartments on relatively remote sidesthereof, in combination with integral extensions respectively extendingfrom opposite longitudinal ends of said partitions, each said extensioncomprising a plurality of relatively folded vertical panels defining anend compartment of parallelogram cross section collapsible into fiatcondition against its respective main partition, said end compartmentsbeing disposed at opposite ends :of said medial space and beingrelatively spaced to define between them an upwardly opening centralwell adapted to receive the crown of a hat and center same in invertedcondition in said box, said partitions and their respective extensionshaving linear upper edges lying in a substantially common horizontalplane below the top of the box, and closure flaps for each of said sideand end compartments hinged to said upper edges and operatively foldedinto the plane thereof to form a composite hat brim supporting trayaround said central well.

2. A combined hat stay and compartmenting means comprising a mainpartition, an integral extension carried at one end of said partition,said extension comprising a plurality of relatively folded verticalpanels defining an end compartment of parallelogram horizontalcross-section collapsible into fiat condition against said mainpartition, the upper edges of said main partition and said panels allbeing in the same horizontal plane, and closure flaps associated withsaid partition and said end compartment and foldable into saidhorizontal plane.

3. A sheet material flat blank for forming one unit of a combined hatstay and compartmenting means for hat boxes comprising a rectangularmain partition, an integral extension projecting longitudinally from oneend thereof and separated therefrom by a lateral fold line, saidextension comprising a pair of rectangular identical end partitions anda rectangular side panel interposed therebetween, said side panel beingjoined to said respective end partitions along lateral fold lines, andan attaching tab secured along a lateral fold line to one of said endpartitions remote from said main partition, in combination with closureflaps respectively connected along longitudinal fold lines to said lastmentioned end partition and to said main partition.

LOUISE JAMES. JOSEPH E. JUBIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,782,414 Duer Nov. 25, 1930

